Reindeer Lichen and Wild Feelings
I live in the chalk hills of the South Downs. On my daily walks over these hills I am always greeted by familiar alkaline-loving flora.…
Find out how to read water
Tag: moss
Usnea Lichens and Moss Patterns
Just back from a family camper-vanning trip to the New Forest and Dartmoor. In Dartmoor I returned to an old favourite, Wistman’s Wood, where the…
Moisture and Moss
Moss means moisture, which can sometimes help with direction. The moss on this tree is growing on the north side, but it takes a surprising…
Using Lichens to Navigate
This is a photo of the top of a historical stone post, known as a ‘staddle stone‘. Staddle stones were used to build barns off…
Moss on the North Side of Trees
No single piece of natural navigation is better known than ‘moss grows on the north side of trees’. It therefore sometimes surprises people when I…
Frost Shadows and Compasses
It is that time of year when nature likes to get out her frost compasses for us to admire. I took this photo last Friday…
Moss and Lichen Compass
I thought you might enjoy this picture I took a week ago of lichen and moss growing on a disused fountain in a garden in…
Ground Moisture
Happy New Year! At times like this, I sometimes wonder what the Earth and Sun would say to each other if they could talk. They…
Grave Lichens
Churches are well worth a minute of navigational inquiry. The church itself is likely to show a preference for an east-west alignment, with the altar…